DC Water has agreed to pay nearly $217,000 and overhaul its workplace practices to resolve a federal age discrimination lawsuit brought by the EEOC, after allegations that the utility’s human resources office pushed out older, experienced workers in favor of younger replacements.
Settlement Details
According to a press release by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the consent decree, announced Wednesday, combines monetary relief with court ordered reforms intended to prevent future age bias. The EEOC said the decree provides nearly $217,000 in monetary relief and requires DC Water to take specified corrective steps under court supervision. The suit is captioned EEOC v. District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (Case No. 1:25-cv-03189).
Background
The original complaint, filed last year, named former HR employee Courtney Titus and alleged that he and other older, high performing staff members were terminated in September 2023 and replaced with substantially younger, less qualified workers, according to Bloomberg Law. The EEOC’s initial filing said the terminations came without prior performance warnings and ran counter to the authority’s progressive discipline rules.
What the Decree Requires
According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the consent decree obligates DC Water to strengthen its nondiscrimination policies, distribute notices informing employees of their rights, and provide advanced training for human resources and management officials. Debra Lawrence, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Philadelphia District, said, “Older employees are too often targets of unfounded or stereotyped assumptions, from lack of tech savvy to slower pace of work.” The agency said these measures are meant to address the conduct it alleged and to head off similar personnel decisions in the future.
DC Water Responds
According to The Washington Times, court papers identified the fired employee as Courtney Titus and said he was 54 at the time of his September 2023 termination. The replacement identified in those filings was 31, and other replacements in the unit were reported to be between 34 and 45. The Washington Times also quoted DC Water spokeswoman Sherri Lewis saying the authority was “unable to comment on a confidential settlement.”
Why It Matters
Beyond the payout, the consent decree highlights the EEOC’s strategy of pairing compensation with structural fixes when it concludes there is evidence of discrimination. Labor law analysts note that decrees requiring policy changes and training often spur broader reviews of hiring, promotion, and discipline practices at public sector employers, according to analysis by Seyfarth Shaw on recent EEOC litigation trends. For DC Water, the deal closes this particular federal case but could prompt internal scrutiny of HR practices across the agency.
